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User blog:SilentShadow87/The Underrated Tornadoes of the Enhanced Fujita Scale - pt. 1
The problem with classifying anything is that it usually takes a few tries before you get it just right. This applies to everything from animal classifications to genres of music, and is especially true when rating tornadoes. The original Fujuta Scale could be too liberal when rating tornadoes, especially in the 1950s and 1960s, while the Enhanced Fujita Scale is often too conservative when rating strong tornadoes, especially in the last few years. Damage indicators are being excluded from official surveys in a few cases, and the official rating criteria are considered too narrow by many meteorologists, storm chasers, and enthusiasts. This is a list of tornadoes that were likely stronger than their official Enhanced Fujita Scale rating. Tornadoes before 2007 are not considered (although several in the 1990s also might have been underrated). Also, only strong tornadoes (EF2, EF3, and EF4) are included in this list, since it would take much too long to put together a list of underrated EF0 and EF1 tornadoes. "Unconventional" damage indicators are also taken into consideration in this list. Other tornadoes are on this list because of recorded wind speeds or radar-indicated strength. Pierson, Manitoba EF2 - July 27, 2015 In the evening of July 27, 2015, a small but intense tornado outbreak took place across southern Manitoba, producing a family of large, damaging tornadoes that tracked to the east-northeast across the province. The most notable tornado of the outbreak was a large wedge tornado that initially touched down at around 8:15 PM and moved mainly through rural areas, causing minimal damage. As the large blue funnel passed over the MB-3 highway, it was photographed by the Tornado Hunters team and caught on video by Reed Timmer. Houses nearby near the edge of the tornado's path sustained moderate damage, and one person was injured. The tornado may have reached its peak intensity as it crossed MB-3 a second time a few miles to the east, as some minor pavement scouring occurred. Past this point, the tornado continued over rural areas and only inflicted minimal damage. The tornado dissipated at rougly 9:05 PM, about 50 minutes after touching down. Another large tornado was produced by the same supercell seconds later, and was also strong and long-tracked. The Pierson area tornado was given an official rating of high-end EF2, but the final rating was controversial among storm chasers. Some of the damage left by the tornado was seemingly not included in official surveys. Fully loaded grain silos were completely destroyed, and loose, cracked pavement was scoured from a road; both of these damage indicators usually suggest EF3 (high-end EF2 at the lower bound) damage. The Dominator tornado intercept vehicle recorded winds in the EF3 range in one of the tornado's inflow jets, and although no figure has been officially released, radar displayed the Pierson tornado's rotational energy to be consistent with a violent (EF4+) tornado. The low rating of the Pierson tornado was presumably due to damage surveyors missing small areas of its path; had these areas been included in the survey, the tornado would likely have recieved a rating of EF3. Rotational energy is not considered when rating tornadoes under the current scale, so a rating of EF4 or higher would not have been possible. John's Island, South Carolina EF2 - September 25, 2015 Towards the end of September 2015, a several-week severe drought was broken as a strong, late-night tornado formed on the Atlantic coast. The tornado touched down at 12:42 AM EDT on September 25. Severe thunderstorms had not been forecast, and no watches or warnings were ever issued for John's Island. The tornado followed an unusual north-northwestward track for 4 miles, before shifting to a northwestward track for another 2.9 miles. Houses in the tornado's path sustained severe damage, with at least two well-built houses being partially or completely demolished, and thousands of trees were snapped and tossed. The tornado weakened soon after shifting its path, and dissipated at 12:59 AM. Incredibly, despite a strong tornado passing through a densely populated area at night with almost no warning, no fatalities or injuries were reported. The tornado was officially rated as a "very high-end EF2", with estimated wind speeds of 135 miles per hour. Some of the damage caused, however, appears to align better with the low-end EF3 category. Near the beginning of the tornado's path, a mobile home was completely leveled with most of the debris pushed off of its foundation (the one wall that appears to be standing in the image to the right is apparently propped up against the house next door) in low-end EF3 fashion. At around the time the tornado shifted its path, it hit a particularly well-built brick house which had all but a very small part of its roofing removed and all four of its exterior walls demolished. An on-ground air conditioning unit at this house was tossed 150 yards as well. Nearby, another well-built house had its entire rear portion torn away and demolished. Additionally, hundreds of small to medium-sized trees in the area were snapped a few inches above ground level and tossed into roads or onto the roofs of houses. This damage, again, suggests borderline to low-end EF3 strength, although the official high-end EF2 rating is still reasonable. Aliceville, Alabama EF2 - February 2, 2016 The 2016 tornado season started unusually early as a major winter storm complex made its way eastward across North America. The system produced 15 confirmed tornadoes on February 2 and February 3, three of which were strong. Arguably the strongest tornado of the outbreak touched down at 4:34 PM CST on February 2 near Dancy, Alabama, and moved to the northeast at 45 miles per hour, toppling trees and damaging several rural houses. The tornado reached high-end EF2 strength to the southwest of McMullen, splintering thousands of trees and destroying a few mobile homes before making its closest approach to the town of Aliceville, where it reached peak intensity. Several frame houses towards the edge of the path were demolished, and a federal prison on the fringes sustained minor to moderate damage. Many trees in the area were snapped or uprooted and tossed as well. Past this point, the tornado began to weaken, eventually dissipating to the southwest of the town of Reform at 5:09 PM. Officially, the tornado was rated high-end EF2, with estimated wind speeds of 135 miles per hour. Some of the damage to frame houses and trees near Aliceville, however, was likely close to the EF3 threshold. The tornado left no clear examples of EF3+ damage, but it should be noted that the inner core of the tornado, where the highest winds occurred, remained over completely empty areas for the majority of the tornado's path, and almost no buildings were hit head-on. The fact that the inner core of the tornado impacted no structures while the tornado was at peak strength, coupled with near-EF3 damage further from the center of the path suggests that the tornado likely reached EF3 strength, although there is fairly little evidence to support this, compared to most of the other tornadoes on this list. Nappanee, Indiana EF3 - October 18, 2007 The "second season" in the fall of 2007 reached its peak between October 17 and 18 as a large storm complex produced several dozen tornadoes in the Midwestern and Southeastern states. Three of the tornadoes produced by the storm system were rated EF3, and perhaps the strongest of the outbreak touched down at 10:18 PM EDT on October 18 to the west of Bourbon, Indiana. The tornado steadily began to gain strength as it tracked northeast through the outskirts of Bourbon and an Amish community past that point, and had reached high-end EF2 strength by the time it entered the city of Nappanee, causing severe damage to homes and a church in its path. In northeastern Nappanee, the tornado inflicted high-end EF3 damage in an industrial area. EF3 damage continued across several restaurants, a shopping center, and into a residential area before the tornado began to weaken. The tornado continued over semi-rural areas for several more minutes, dissipating to the southwest of New Paris after remaining on the ground over a 20-mile path. The final rating of the tornado was high-end EF3, but a few instances of damage suggested low-end EF4 strength. A few well-constructed frame houses were leveled and an RV plant was completely flattened, while at another several newly-built RVs were severely mangled or tossed several dozen yards. This damage is consistent with borderline to low-end EF4 damage, with official damage indicators suggesting winds of 165-170 miles per hour. Like the 2015 John's Island tornado, the Nappanee tornado left no clear, unarguable examples of EF4 damage, but it should be noted that the tornado was likely very near EF4 strength, if not quite at the threshold. Sawyerville, Alabama EF3 - April 27, 2011 ' '